Tuesday, October 27

Today’s Readings: Psalm 12; Ezra 5:1-17; Matthew 13:1-9; Revelation 4:1-11

I learned an important lesson about human behavior (my own included) when I began teaching right out of college. I learned how common it is for people who need to hear something to tune it out because they are not ready to do so.

When it came to classroom behavior, for instance, I would see a couple of students talking disruptively and I say, “I need everyone in the classroom to be quiet right now.” The other students in the classroom who weren’t talking would hunker down and look at me while the ones who had been talking continued to do so. Other times – when I was giving an assignment – I would make a point of standing near the desks of those who were chronically late turning in their assignments and say, “Remember, the assignment is due next Tuesday at 9:00 AM.” And guess whose assignment would be late? The student I made of a special point of trying to communicate with. Ugh!

Over a period of time, I realized that these situations were modern embodiments of Jesus’ famous tagline to many of his parables and teachings: “Those who have ears, let them hear.” A tagline we encountered at the end of today’s Gospel reading. It doesn’t matter how young or old an individual is, or what the topic is (English or a teaching of Jesus’) – the key element in getting a point across to another person is the person’s ability to hear what is being said.

Perhaps there is an ongoing issue in your life that you have been turning to God for guidance. It’s been a while and maybe you’re still struggling to find some clarity in your process of discernment. If that’s the case, I would encourage you to ask yourself a question based upon Jesus tagline: “When it comes to this issue do I simply have ears, or have I opened myself to hearing?” Til next time…